BMW, VW Partner with ChargePoint for High-Speed EV Charging

BMW and Volkswagen have initiated a partnership with ChargePoint to create a higher-speed "charging corridors" on the East Coast and West Coast for plug-in electric vehicles.

The automakers have set a goal to set up nearly 100 DC fast chargers to support long-distance electric vehicle travel for the BMW i3, Volkswagen e-Golf and other battery-electric vehicles. Part of the plan includes installing additional Level 2 chargers.

The new charging stations along the corridor will be added to the existing ChargePoint network and can be accessed with a ChargePoint or ChargeNow card. They will be added at increments of no more than 50 miles apart. In the East Coast, the stations will go in along Interstate 95 from Boston to Washington, D.C. On the West Coast, they will cover the metropolitan areas of Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

Each fast charging location will offer up to two 50-kilowatt DC fast chargers, or 24-kilowatt DC combo fast chargers with the SAE Combo connector, used in BMW and Volkswagen electric vehicles. When charging at a 50-kilowatt station, the BMW i3 and the Volkswagen e-Golf can charge up to 80 percent in 20 minutes. Both vehicles can charge up to 80 percent in 30 minutes at a 24-kilowatt station.

Locations will also include Level 2 chargers that are compatible with all electric vehicles. Level 2 stations can dispense up to 25 miles of range per hour of charging, providing a full charge for the BMW i3 and the VW e-Golf within 3.5 to 4 hours.

The public-access charging stations will join a ChargePoint network that now includes more than 20,000 charging locations in North America.